Apparatus for making rubber-composition flooring and siding



Sept. 16, 1930. J, B, LOSEY El' AL 1,775,646

APPARATUS FOR MAKING RUBBER COMPOSITION FLOORING AND SIDI-NG' iginal Filed Nov. 3, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept.Y 16, 1930 Original application led yNovember 3,

Y .QJOHN' B/iiosYAunwA'Lrnn a. STONE,4 or svnAousn, N'nw YORK" APPARATUS -Fon MAKING RUBBER-COMPOSITION FLOORING AND Vsrnivcr A1925, Serial No. 66,517, and in Great Britain August y13,1926.

Divided and this application filed vTbcbniary 21, 1927. Serial No. 169,891.

y YThis inventionrelates to the manufacture of vrubber composition flooring, wainscoting andanalogous articles.j

j The main objectisto provide a simple` Aeconomicaland efficient method of pr ducinglarticles of :this character from vflat pieces of rubber composition material applied to each other f aceutO-face under heat and pres- .sure suiiicient tolform ra homogenized. article. ,Aiiotherfobject to make the surface secftions of. relativ,elyfzlsrnall area as compared with the base section and, if desired, 'of differentcolorslsoastopermit the formation of :varying designsi` .the individual or. assembledfarticles. y ,t y A'further object lsto, mold theentire unit 1withlla tongue .and groove in opposite edges 4thereof inrone'and the same operation. f ,Another Objectis tozform each unit with a .relatively -softpliable base and relatively Aharder surface sections and to leave the surface sections-unattached to each other to cornpensate for slight expansion and contraction 4and enable theflooring to conform more readily'to uneven supporting surfaces.

Other Objectsjand uses will bebrought out inthe following description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a. transverse vertical sectional `View of-a mold with a section of flooring formed therein, together with portions of the lower and upper heated pressing elements for forcing the sections of the mold into pressing co-action upon the article.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional View, partly broken away, of the detached mold with a section of flooring therein.

Figure 3 is a perspective view, on a re- ,duced scale, of a section of flooring made under my improved apparatus and process.

Figures l, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are perspective views, on a reduced scale, of the upper section of the mold, the reinforcing fabric, the rubber-composition sheet forming the base of the Flooring, the rubber-composition plates to be applied to one of the surfaces of the sheet` and the lower section of the mold respectively, the ends of the sheet in Figure G being broken away.

The apparatus shown in the drawings for carrying out the process and product comprises lower and upper mold sections 1- and -2-, opposite lengthwise insert sections Se and 4land corresponding end insert sections -3- and -l-, all of which are constructed and assembled insuch manner as to form in one operation a complete strip of flooring of the `desired length, Width and thickness with a'tongue and groove along opposite lengthwise edges and- `also along the opposite end edges, said rapparatus also including lower and upper pressing relements -5-'- and v 6 which are provided with chambers -f and for receiving steam orvother heating agentwhereby the PATENT @WE dies and article under. formation between them will be subjected to heat and-pressure at one and the same time.

rlhe dies or mold sections -1- and -2- are preferably rectangularvand of somewhat greater length and width than the article vo beformed between them so as to form 'igid marginal walls around the chamber in which said article is formed for receiving the insert sections -3- and f1- and -3# and -l-, said mold sections being preferably made of steel or equivalent material having polished surfaces particularly where contacting with the article.

The upper face of the lower die or mold section -lis provided with transversely spaced lengthwise grooves -7- near its opposite longitudinal edges for receiving the lengthwise die sections -3- and #4tand is also provided with transverse grooves -7- near the ends thereof for receiving the die sections -3- and a.

The grooves 7 and -7- are of less depth than the thickness of their corresponding die sections -3 and which when seated in their respective grooves project beyond the upper surface of the section land form an upwardly projecting marginal rib along the sides and ends of the lastnamed section with the upper face of the ribs disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane parallel with the bottom surface of the section -l*.

rFliese ribs or die sections #3- and Lland -3- and -4- are provided in their upper sides with lengthwise grooves M15- commumcating with each other at the corners and extending to the exterior sides and 'ends of the ribs to form clearance channels for the reception ot' excess stock which may be pressed from the article during its tormation under heat and pressure by the pressing elements Tiand -6--, this extra material as czin the grooves being shown by circles in Figures 1 and 2.

The lower die or mold section -1- is also provided in its upper side with a central rectangular chamber -10- extending the entire distance between the end die sections -3- and -4- and also the entire transverse distance between the lengthwise die scctions -3- and Llfor receiving the several rubber-composition plates Z and Fiffure 7, which are arranged end to end in sain chamber.

The bottom Wall of the'chamber 10- is provided With a series of relatively thin a d shallow transverse ribs or spacing members +11# arranged in uniformly spaced relation longitudinally and corresponding to the lengths of the I rubber composition plates Which-are adapted to be placed between tnem. That is, the"ribs-'11 -"and'side and end Walls of the chamber -10- form a' series ofsq'uarel pocket'sfeach receivingone of the rubber composition "plates as v64 and -bwhich in this instance aresquare and of approximately the lsaine thickness as the depth of the ribs or pockets ormedthereby Valthough in practise, the :ribs may be of slightly less depth than the thickness of the plates so as to assure proper vulca-nizinfr of the ends of the lplatesto overlying 'rubber'compositioii sheet.'v I o' y rfliese ribs serve to' prevent the vulcanize- 4tion of the meeting edges of the plates toeach other While the various lay'f'ers oft-he flooring are being pressed together underheat so that when the Aflooring is completed the meeting` edges of the plates Which were slightly separated by the-ribs -11- during the vulcanizing operation will7 when the flooring is completed and removed from the dies, substantially close under the inherent elasticity of the material to form a smooth surface and at the same time preserve a. definite amount of flexibilityf of the looring to enable it to conform more readily to uneven surfaces ot the underlying floor bed.l

These plates -b- 'and -b"- are adapted tolbe assembled upoiiione face of a rubber composition Vs'trip- '-12 of approximately the "same lengthanclfiviclth as vthe chamber -.10- in the die el-:,Jtlie thickness oi the strip being approximately equal toer slightly greater th'anfthat'ottheplatesnor of sufficient thickness lto permit the or'mationpf tongues`r and groovesin the marginal. edges of, the. .Completed oorgiil a manner, Livresently described.

A l lyer -18- ot Wire fabric et substantially the same surface dimensions as the stri is adapted to be applied to the mately the same dimensions as thek chamber with which it is adapted to register vchen the moldsections are assembled for use. *Y Y The upper wall of the chamber 111- is snhstantiall?.Y iiat and together with the bottom Wall of the chamber #1U-#determines the thickness of the flooring when completed, said upper die -2- being also provided in its underside with surrounding the chamber -14- and `registering with the groove -15- in the die soctions -3- and -land 3- and #-lfor receiving excess material which may be discharged from the chambers "--10- and -,-14' during the formation of the flooring with the dies. I Y` u' One of the lengthwise die sections'as'# and one of the end dies as 3"- are provided with inwardly projecting ribs -"16-l-`vin the same horizontal plane land approximately mid 1`ray. bet veen the bottom Wall of the chamber -10- and top Wall of the chamber to form grooves in the corresponding edges ot' the completed Y' flooring The other lengthwise die section 412- and also the remaining end lseetions-tare provided along their inner edges with lengthwise grooves -17- cooperating with opposed grooves .--17-v in the adjacent lengthwise anden'd Walls ofthe die section --Q-e to form suitable tongue 49'- on `the remaining'lengthwise edge and end edge of the completed flooring strip lq the space between the lower and upper Walls of the grooves -17- and 17 being disposed in substantially the same horizontal plane as the.v rib -16- on the die sections #-3# and V-f-l'- to assure the proper matching of the flooring strips when assembled edge to edge or end to end.

As previouslystated when the die-sections -3- rand l-4 and 3L-l and -llare assembled in their respective grooves fthe die section 1+ they projectslightly'above the upper surfaeeof saidvdie, section-41- and thereby form with the last-nameddie sectionmarginal rabbets -`1S`-. While the lower side of the upper dissection is formed `with corresponding marginal lflanges 19+y VAexten ding along its opposite v, lengthwise and end edges as shown -in'FigureLlg-Q? marginal groove -15- IUS) ils

The: portionsi of the lengthwise,z flanges l-'-19-'- registering vvith the end die sections agar-ste Process Assuming that the rubber composition sheet -12 has been previously made to the desired length, Width and thickness corresponding to the length, Width and depth of the chambers -10- and lilof the mold and that the plates and have been previously cut to the desired form and size corresponding to the form and size of the pockets bet-Ween the ribs -11-. Then f the die section -lwith its insert sections -3- and and -3- and -4- thereon is placed preferably in a horizontal position upon a suitable support with the open side of the chamber -10-`upperinost.

The plates ZJ- and are then placed in the pockets between the ribs -llin the chamber -10- until all the pockets in said chamber are filled, the plates of different colors, when different colors are used being alternately placed.

rlhe sheet -12- is then placed flativise upon the upper faces of the plates and -bso that its marginal edges will abut against the inner edges of the die sections exact registration With the chamber` --lO-.

The Wire fabric reinforcing strip which is of slightly less area than the area of the cha inbers-10- an d letand also of slightly less area. than the surface area of the sheet- #l2- is then placed upon the upper surface of said sheet Within the marginal edges thereof, the object of the slightly reduced aiea of the reinforcing fabric being to prevent the projection of the edges thereof beyond the corresponding edges of the flooring strip when the latter is completed and also to enable said reinforcement to be imbedded and concealed entirely within the sheet 12- When the flooring stripis completed.

lVlien the reinforcing fabric is properly placed on the strip l2- thedie section Q is placed in operative position upon the die section -1- so that the flanges 1Q- will register with the rabbets -18- to hold the die sections against relative endivise or lateral movement. This completes the formation of the mold with the stock therein for forming the flooring, the mold being then 'inserted *f between-5 the pressing elements 'and '-LGL, Ione ati least -of vv'hiichv is golperate'd' "by hydraulic :prefssi'irell inl anyvvvellknov'i'mman ner`com'monly known inthe use of 'hyd'raulio presses lcapable of 'subjecting 4the To jf-cliesto 'fni'anyllt-ons 'pressure' and 'th'emov- Y' alolep'r'e's'singl element lis operated to' eect suchfpressur'e' theyare simultaneously heated 'the 'adinissiono'f steam or other heating heat'being transferred to the dies '--land and also -Seand -4- and -31- Vv'and- '4-'-`iv'hich in turn impart their heat -to the various elements of'the flooring com- -Position. i

This simultaneous application Aof pressure vvand heat tothe assembled parts of the ,ooring causes the softening of the rubber composition element sufficiently to 'expand "the edges thereof against the Aside and endf walls of the chambers -9- and lO-and to `f orif'n tongues and grooves in and upon ,the marginal edges of the flooringas previously described@V Y V Y "Y "l :This pressureand heatapplied `to thefloor- 'ing composition: alsofcauses the vulcanization =of the plates-"-b---' and 72'4 .tothe vadjacent surface of thesheet l2- "and-at the "salme time owing to the p'liability of the rub- -'ber vcomposition ofthe sheet 12e-"and the unplial'iility of the Wire reinforcement 13%, fthe' latter Will become imbedded and entirely concealedA Within the vadjacent surface of said sheet'therebybecoming a permanent part of the'flooring'strip.'v y I I 2 f It Will be evident from theforegoing description that the Wire reinforcing fabric may be entirely-eliminated andthat theform or size ofthel surface ,plates and base may be varied at will Without depart-ing from the spirit ofthe invent-ion which contemplates broadly the formation of a flooring from a plurality of layers of rubber 'composition with tongues and grooves therein in a single operation and in such manner that When coinpleted constitutes a homogeneous Whole by incorporating the contiguous faces of the parte one into the other vin such manner to obliterate structural joints.

it is also evident that in the use of rubber composition plates upon a base of similar composition the coloring or ornamentation of the several plates upon the saine base may be Widely varied thus permitting the formation of different letters or characters or designs in the assembly of the flooring strips upon a floor or other supporting surface.

Reference is had to our pending application Serial No. 66,517, tiled November 3, 1925, on Method of manufacturing rubber composition flooring of which the present application is a division. lVhat We claim is l. In an apparatus for making flooring from rubber composition, a mold having a chamber for receiving the composition, the opposite Walls of said chamber being provided respectively With a tongue and a groove, one et the Walls of said chamber having a plurality of spaced ribs for dividing adjacent portions of the composition, said mold being composed of relatively movable sections, and means for pressing the sections toward each other to canse the composition to assume the form ot the chamber and to impress the ribs into the composition and to expand the composition into the groove and around the tongue,and means for heating the mold during the pressing operation for vulcanizing the rubber to other ingredients of the composition.

2. In an apparatus for applying similar fiat rubber-coxnposition plates edge to edge along and upon the surface of an elongated flat rubber composition strip, comprising opposed mold sections having chambers in their adjacent sides, one of said chambers being of substantially the same size as the rubbercomposition strip for receiving the same, the other section having a series of ribs dividing its chamber into a series of pockets ot' substantially the same size as the plates for receiving the same, and heated means for pressing the mold sections together and for simul- 3e taneously vulcanizing the plates to the strip. 3. In an apparatus for applying similar fiat rubber-composition plates edge to edge alongr and upon the surface of an elongated fiat rubber composition strip, comprising a mold-section having a chamber open at one side for receiving said strip, an additional mold-section having a series of pockets open at one. side for receiving the plates, said moldsections being arranged in opposed relation 40 with the open sides of the pockets facing the open side of the chamber, and heated means for pressing said sect-ions With the strip and plates therein together and for simultaneously vulcanizing the plates to the strip. In Witness whereof We have hereunto set our hands this 26th day of January, 1927.

lJOHN B. LOSEY. WALTER R. STONE. 

